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Flip phone graduation ceremony — A surprisingly emotional look back at life in 3G-era Japan【Vid】

With the first phase of Japan’s 3G network shutdown starting this month, phone provider takes a moment to remember how it changed communication culture.

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Japanese company starts paid service to attach protective film to your smartphone for you

Docomo, Japan’s largest telecom provider, launches Film Attachment Support program, but it’ll cost you.

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Japanese shipping giant planning to start autonomous cargo ships by 2025

A ghost in the machine ship?

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AI security cameras coming to stores in Japan, reduce shoplifting by 40 percent

Now, if a clerk asks to help you, it probably means you’ve been acting shady.

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Japanese companies want to monitor employees working overtime using in-office flying drones

Developers say it’s a great way to improve employee health.

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Japanese cell phone provider gives same-sex couples with Partnership Certificates family discount

Cell phone service in Japan isn’t exactly cheap, and if you spend a lot of time on your smartphone talking with clients, chatting with friends, or otherwise keeping in touch with the rest of the world, it’s not hard to run up a monthly bill in the neighborhood of 10,000 yen (US$84). Thankfully, Japanese providers offer a variety of discounts to help soften the blow, with reduced rates for family members being a huge help.

Now, as part of the changing societal concept of what constitutes a family, Japan’s largest telecommunications provider has begun offering family discounts to same-sex couples who present documentation of their union.

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NTT showcases technology which can “correct” Japanese people’s English pronunciation

Depending on the second language you’re trying to master, pronunciation is arguably the hardest aspect to conquer. The Japanese and English languages are no exception. Japanese, with its highly syllabic alphabet, often has a hard time accommodating the often chaotic nature of natural English pronunciation.

While a native English speaker’s tongue might stumble when trying to spit out makudonarudo (McDonald) smoothly the first few times our language allows us to pick it up with a little practice. Japanese English speakers have far more adversity trying to understand all the diminished sounds of a native English speaker casually uttering the name of the famous hamburger chain.

With that, NTT has revealed technology it’s working on that may one day automatically correct a Japanese person’s English pronunciation by editing the speed and rhythm while keeping the original speaker’s voice intact.

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  • Mar 24, 2012

It’s Disney Magic! Turn yourself into a Disney Princess

What small girl hasn’t dreamt of being a Disney Princess? Now you can actually make it happen, at least in the digital world. Read More